Temperature Control
by Jessica237
Summary: JC. Calleigh is cold. Total fluff.


**A bit of fun, pointless fluff for all of the 2.5 JC fans out there, lol. ;)  
**

* * *

A slight frown of displeasure anointed Calleigh's lips as she padded down the hallway in her slippered feet. The normally cheerful blonde's displeasure stemmed from the fact that it was utterly ridiculous to be forced to wear slippers in her own home. Even though they were cute slippers – fuzzy, sky blue slippers that she had bought because they were so cute, not to mention on sale – the fact remained that she shouldn't _have_ to wear them, even if they did look adorable on her feet.

This was her house. And furthermore, this was Miami. The bottom line was that it should never be cold enough in Miami for slippers, and on the rare instance that it was, it should never be cold enough inside her house to force her to wear slippers.

At least one of those rules had yet to be broken. Outside, it was a humid ninety degrees, even with the rain that fell on the roof above. It was a sauna outside. But inside her house, it was long past cold _enough_ for slippers.

With a touch of shock, Calleigh leaned in close to examine the thermostat on the wall. The illuminated display cheerfully showed that it was a crisp sixty degrees inside, with the air still running nonstop. No wonder she was so cold; sixty was a distant cry from the toasty seventy-three degrees she'd had the thermostat set on for years.

Narrowing her eyes at the numbers that literally chilled her, Calleigh quickly realized that there could be only one explanation.

He was the bane of her existence; yet also the most important, integral part of her life – Jake Berkeley. She couldn't live with him; couldn't stand to be without him. He was the only man she would consider sharing her bed with ever again; but he was also the man who froze her to death in the middle of the night when he threw the blankets – every single one of them – completely off of the bed.

Not that Calleigh _really_ minded that either; it just gave her an extra reason to snuggle closer to his body, deeper into his strong arms. But that was _clearly_ far from the point right now.

A yell of irritation issued from the direction of the living room, and Calleigh wrapped her arms around herself, shivering lightly as she began padding her way toward the sound. She had no idea what _he_ was so irritated about, but Calleigh knew one thing – she was intent on showing him what real irritation was.

_Yeah right._ Calleigh couldn't help but roll her eyes at herself. Like she could ever stay truly irritated with him. How could she, when he knew just what to say to fluster her into a grinning, blushing lunatic? It was part of his appeal, the fact that he was the only one who had ever gotten to her like that.

Unfortunately, he also had to be the only one who had wanted to live like a polar bear in an igloo. Or…something like that. Calleigh was far too cold to force her mind to come up with clever similes.

Her slippers shuffling along the carpet, Calleigh padded into the living room, wincing as a flash of lightning illuminated the sky outside, followed predictably by the low roll of thunder. She gave a soft shudder; the rain was only making it seem even cooler inside. It made her want to curl up on the couch with Jake and cuddle.

Calleigh shook her head; she wasn't supposed to want to cuddle with him. She was supposed to be annoyed with him so he'd relent and let her turn down the air.

And _then_ they could cuddle.

For now, she shuffled her way to him, snickering as she realized from where his irritation stemmed. Jake sat on the couch, a pained expression over his features as he watched the scene on the television play out before him. He wasn't as big of a follower of baseball as he was with football, but he could still get worked up about it all the same. And as it seemed right now, his team was losing by a fairly large margin.

"I told you they were terrible this year," Calleigh smirked, her soft voice immediately pulling Jake's attention from the game. "But then again," she continued, visibly pouting, "when do you _ever _listen to me?"

Jake tilted his head, the blunders of his team all but forgotten. "What are you talking about?" he asked, his eyes roaming over the woman before him. Her golden locks cascaded down the sides of her face and over her shoulders, her shoulders which were almost blissfully bare save for the straps of her tank top that was just snug enough on her body. The hem of the light blue fabric came to rest a few centimeters above the top of the lounge pants which clung snugly to her hips, allowing Jake only the most tantalizing peek of her taut stomach. Even when dressed as lazily as she was, Calleigh Duquesne was a sight to take his breath away.

But there was something about her posture that suggested a bit of discomfort. Her teeth nibbled at her lower lip as they did whenever something was bothering her (or when she wanted something), and her arms were crossed snugly across her chest. In her voice as she spoke was a noticeable bit of poutiness. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Jake."

Honestly, he didn't. "Cal, I really don't." Innocently he lifted his arms in a showy shrug. Calleigh glared at him, though the sparkle in her eyes was undeniable. Jake couldn't stop the way his lips twitched upward in a guilty grin, even though he still hadn't the vaguest idea what she was talking about. "What did I do this time?" he asked, snickering slightly.

Calleigh huffed, briefly tilting her head downwards toward her slippers. "You do realize that it's about twenty degrees in here," she quipped, her voice carrying a bit more of a whine than she'd intended. But she couldn't help it; she was cold! Perching herself on the edge of the coffee table, Calleigh reached behind Jake, pulling the blanket from the back of the couch. She made quite the show of wrapping it around her shoulders, pulling it tightly around her body. Immediately she felt comforted by its warmth, but Calleigh couldn't deny that it was more than the warmth of the blanket that made her smile. Lifting the soft, deep blue fabric to her face, Calleigh breathed in deeply, savoring the lingering scent. Where he had leaned back against it, the blanket smelled exactly like Jake.

Watching her huddle deep within the blanket, Jake couldn't help but smirk. How many times had they had this argument already? Quite a few times, if he recalled correctly; and Jake, of course, had won every one of them. "It is _not_," he insisted with a playful roll of his eyes. He held his head up cockily, a clever glint adorning his dark eyes. "It's a comfortable, _economical_ sixty-five degrees in here," he stated very matter-of-factly.

"Sixty-five is only economical in the winter!" Calleigh retorted, kicking gently at Jake's shin with her slippered toes. "Not that _that_ makes a difference, since the thermostat reads much lower than sixty-five anyway." Halfheartedly she gave him the best glare she could muster up when all she really wanted to do was curl up with his arms around her. "You know how much I hate being cold," she pouted.

But Jake knew the game she was playing, and he could play just as well as she could. "Baby, if you think it's cold in here, what are you going to do if I want to take you to New York one year for Christmas?"

Calleigh gave a teasing grin. Truth was, the idea of Christmas in New York enticed her. All the shopping, the Christmas trees, the city all lit up at night, even the prospect of softly falling snow in the middle of the night…the idea brought a smile to Calleigh's lips, one that she quickly tried to hide by ducking her head. "Hmm," I don't know," she replied playfully, her shoulders lifting in a shrug. "Stay here and wait for you to bring me my presents back," she finished, her eyes sparkling.

"Cal…" Jake snickered. "The present _is_ spending Christmas with me," he quipped smugly, ignoring Calleigh's snort of laughter. He leaned forward, bringing his face tantalizingly close to hers. "Because, if I recall, that was _plenty_ enough for you last Christmas," he reminded her in a low whisper, giving her a devilish wink.

A light flush crept into Calleigh's cheeks as the memories threatened to overcome her completely. He was right; simply being with Jake, his rapt attention upon her and her alone, his fingers brushing trails of fire over her skin, his lips raining kiss after kiss upon her trembling body as the Christmas lights twinkled above…it had most certainly been enough for Calleigh. To be honest, she still wasn't sure she could handle much more than that.

The memories caused her to shiver even more, and Calleigh couldn't help but wrap herself even tighter in the blanket. Her tongue briefly slipped from her mouth as she tried to moisten her suddenly parched lips. "Well," she began, her voice a little shakier, a little more affected than she would've liked, "if my present is simply being with you, then who says we have to go to New York?" she teased affectionately, once more bumping her slippered toes into Jake's shin. "We could go somewhere else instead…somewhere _warm."_

Jake groaned, though his lips quirked in a playful smile. "There's just something wrong about being somewhere warm for Christmas. Christmas is supposed to mean snow. Why do you think people sing about a white Christmas?"

Calleigh grinned. "Sand is white too, you know," she countered. "See? We could have a white Christmas where it's warm…you know," she paused, a thoughtful look gracing her features. "Like in Antigua!"

As soon as the suggestion was in the air, Jake couldn't stop the slow, reminiscent grin that stretched across his lips. "Yeah, we did have a good time there," he conceded, brushing a finger just barely along the inside of her knee, momentarily displeased by the fabric of her lounge pants, the fabric that separated her skin from his touch. "And you did look damn sexy in that bikini…"

Just as the pink tint had finally faded from Calleigh's cheeks, she felt it rush right back in. She opened her mouth, but the only response she could manage was the coy, slightly embarrassed grin that touched her lips. Ducking her head, Calleigh slipped a hand out from under the blanket, brushing her hair into place behind her ear. In her stomach suddenly fluttered a familiar rush of butterflies, akin to the ones she'd felt when Jake had first looked at her in that bikini.

Or rather, when he had _stared_ at her in that bikini. The intensity in his gaze had been enough to have her blushing, squirming uncontrollably as his eyes traced the length of her body, desire plain in his deep brown eyes. She'd known that little bikini would drive him out of his mind, but what she hadn't counted on was herself being driven just as crazy by the look in Jake's eyes.

A crash of thunder sounded from just overhead, surprising Calleigh out of her daze. Shivering again, she gazed down at her slippers, wiggling her toes within them. Talking about Antigua and Christmas was not achieving anything but making her shiver even more. So far, Jake wasn't budging, and Calleigh knew that if she strode back into the hall right now and turned the air down, Jake would be in there in a second to turn it back up. They'd been through this several times already, and none of Calleigh's carefully crafted arguments had made any difference at all.

One more trick remained up her sleeve though, and a knowing grin spread across her lips, remembering the look of desire that had clouded Jake's eyes for the entire five days that they'd spent in Antigua, where, she remembered, it was _warm._ In her mind, she had all the argument she needed. "Come on," Calleigh teased, batting her eyelashes. "If it was warm in here, you know I'd be wearing less," she remarked low, allowing the blanket to slip just slightly from her shoulders, revealing the skin uncovered by her tank top.

Jake gave a devilish grin, leisurely leaning forward to press a lazy kiss to her shoulder. She shivered beneath the touch of his lips, and Jake chuckled softly. "Doesn't matter what the temperature is in here," he murmured, his lips still brushing her skin. "You might be wearing less if it was warmer in here, but I bet I could get you wearing nothing at all even if it was ten below in here." He paused, savoring Calleigh's quiet sighs as he kissed his way to her lips. "And then I'd get to warm you up, too," he finished gleefully, his lips closing hungrily over Calleigh's mouth.

Calleigh gave a slight whimper of surprise, but nonetheless she happily returned Jake's kiss. Almost of its own accord, her body moved forward, every inch of her suddenly wanting to be closer to him. She was perched on the very edge of the coffee table, a hand on his face, his stubble tickling her palm. The more his lips battled with hers, the more intoxicated Calleigh became. It was amazing that after more than a decade, Jake was still the only man who could make her feel this way; he remained the only man she'd ever wanted like this.

She felt his tongue flick lightly at her lips, and happily she opened her mouth to him, allowing their tongues to mingle. Her lungs were beginning to burn, but she had no desire to break away from him just to breathe. His fingers were tangling in her hair, gently drawing her closer to him, deepening the kiss even farther. Calleigh gave a soft moan, the hand on Jake's cheek slipping to the back of his neck as her other hand bunched within the fabric of his shirt. She was dizzy, and perched so precariously as she was, Calleigh felt as though she might fall at any moment, but she doubted not for a moment that Jake would catch her before she did.

Jake's hands left her hair, instead taking a moment to push the blanket completely away from her body, letting it fall in the middle of the coffee table. To Calleigh's immense displeasure, he forced himself to pull away from her, his own head spinning from the lack of oxygen. He breathed in deeply, only to find himself even dizzier as Calleigh's unique scent washed over him, and he knew were he not already sitting, it would bring him to his knees.

The desire in his eyes was undeniable, and Calleigh knew for a fact that it mirrored what was in her own eyes. Her hands on his chest, Calleigh pushed him back against the back of the couch, rolling her eyes slightly at the knowing grin that formed along Jake's lips. With a grin of her own, Calleigh quickly removed herself from the table, taking Jake's proffered hand and letting him pull her down to him on the couch. Her eyes sparkled as she straddled him, her hands on his shoulders. Jake's hands quickly went to her hips, holding her tight against him. He opened his mouth, no doubt to quip something cheeky, but before he could speak, Calleigh's mouth was upon his, effectively silencing him.

And Jake had no protest for that. He kissed her deeply, fervently, his lips and tongue playfully battling hers for control. But before she could actually win that control, Jake broke away from her lips, too quickly this time. Calleigh's whimper of displeasure, however, caught in her throat as Jake immediately latched his lips to her jaw, slowly kissing a trail of fire down and over her throat, quickly finding the juncture between her throat and shoulder. Calleigh shuddered deliciously; Jake had always known exactly where to kiss, where to nibble to reduce her to jelly in his arms.

As best as she could with her hands shaking, Calleigh fumbled with the fabric of his snug tee, bunching it up within her fists and tugging upward, smiling as Jake pulled away from her and allowed her to tug it over his head, after which his lips were as quick to find their way back to her collarbone as her hands were to find their way to his toned, muscled chest.

His hands slipped beneath the hem of her tank top, sending a new batch of shivers racing throughout Calleigh's body; shivers that had nothing to do with the temperature inside. Her stomach fluttered beneath the touch of his warm hands, and she moaned softly, her back arching slightly.

"Warming up yet?" Jake mumbled, his lips brushing along her skin as he spoke.

Calleigh giggled, the sound trailing off into a soft moan as Jake's fingers slipped upward, brushing just lightly along the swell of her breast. "I'm…getting there…" she murmured in reply, letting her eyes fall closed under his expert ministrations.

Jake chuckled devilishly, his fingers gripping her tank top and pulling it over her head with a bit of help from Calleigh. "I guess I'll have to do better, then," he quipped, his eyes roaming over her suddenly uncovered upper half.

Crossing her arms, Calleigh gave a faux shiver, pursing her lips as though lost in thought. "I don't know, Jake," she teased, rubbing at her arms. "I always thought you were supposed to put more clothes _on _when you were cold, not take them off."

"Well, whoever told you that was a damn liar," Jake smirked, stealing kisses to her jawline.

"Oh, really?" Calleigh gasped softly, feeling his teeth nibble ever lightly at her skin. "How do I know _you're_ not the liar?"

Jake pulled back once more, the look in his dark eyes the most intense Calleigh had seen yet. "Because I can show you proof," he answered low, the tone itself driving a warmth throughout Calleigh's body.

His hands were driving her out of her mind, and Calleigh couldn't help but squirm on his lap, a movement that elicited a quick intake of air from Jake. Calleigh smiled and leaned closer, her warm breath against his cheek as she spoke. "Then stop talking and show me," she whispered, lowering her lips just briefly to throat, just above his pulse point. "Because I'm getting chilly…"

Jake gave a low groan, his hands going to Calleigh's cheeks. Gently he directed her upward, bringing their faces even. A cocky grin graced his lips, complementing the undeniable fire in his eyes. "You won't be chilly for long," he murmured confidently, and before Calleigh could reply, his lips were upon hers in a crushing, breathtaking kiss.

--

Some time later, Calleigh lay content in his arms, her head tucked perfectly beneath Jake's chin. The blanket now covered both of their sweat-cooled bodies as the rain fell steadily on the roof overhead, the only sound audible other than the occasional, satiated sigh. At some point, the passing storm had knocked the electricity out, but so lost were the both of them in each other that neither of them had noticed or cared.

A perpetual smile had formed along Calleigh's lips, the same dazed, relaxed smile that always touched her lips in these kinds of moments. To her, there was no greater comfort than that which she always found in Jake's arms. Lazily she drew random shapes along Jake's bare chest with her fingers, fascinated by the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed deeply.

Shifting against her, Jake pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, letting his lips linger as he breathed in her sweet scent. "Comfortable now?" he asked. He sought out her hand with one of his own, and as he found it resting just over his heart, he slowly laced their fingers together.

The action brought even more of a smile to Calleigh's lips, and she nuzzled against him, softly squeezing his hand. "I'd say so," she murmured happily, softly brushing her lips across his skin. Jake gave a soft chuckle, slightly tightening the arm that remained around her. Utterly content, Calleigh closed her eyes, a quiet sigh escaping her lips as she settled against him, not ever wanting to move.

The temperature inside the house had not changed, but it was an argument that had been put off until another day. In the hall, the thermostat would remain set far below the threshold that Calleigh was comfortable with, at least for the afternoon. But, for the afternoon, she didn't mind.

For now, beneath the blanket on the couch, snuggled deep within Jake's embrace, Calleigh had all the warmth she would ever need.


End file.
